Saturday, November 11, 2017
Act Now! - Bike Commuter Tax Benefits
The League of American Bicyclists is asking riders in select states to contact their Senators about the latest legislative attack on the limited support provided to bicycling as part of the country’s transportation options.
The Senate tax reform plan, released last Thursday, eliminates the bike commuter benefit while keeping commuter benefits for driving and riding transit. The Senate Finance committee plans to vote starting on Monday, November 13, and an amendment is needed to reinstate the bike benefit.
Two local senators, Mark Warner (D-VA) and Ben Cardin (D-MD), are on the Finance Committee and can take action to reinstate the bike benefit.
The League is asking Virginia and Maryland bicyclists to reach out to their Senator this weekend. Ask your Senator to reinstate the bike commuter benefit because:
- If Congress is going to offer commuter benefits to some commuters, they should offer them to all commuters.
- Commuter benefits cost over $8.6 billion each year.
- If every bike commuter in the United States used the bike commuter benefit it would cost less than 2.5% of that amount.
- Eliminating the bike benefit alone does not significantly address revenue lost to commuter benefits.
- The bike commuter benefit is a low cost way to promote healthier, livable communities.
- The average consumer spends over $4,500 each year on gas and other vehicle expenses.
- The average cost of bike commuting is $350 per year. The bicycle commuter benefit covers up to $240 each year to defray costs of purchase, maintenance, and improvements for commuter bicycles.
Please support the reinstatement of the bicycling commuter benefit in the tax reform bill. The bike commuter benefit is a low cost provision that supports commuter choices and improves communities. Bicycling commuting is growing across the country and those commuters should receive equitable benefits to other commuting modes.
Send Senator Mark Warner a message at his website: https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=ContactPage
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